Chapter 77: First Strike Fifty

Those who easily hold grudges are ungrateful; those who disregard righteousness are heartless; and those who neglect filial piety are the most callous. What kind of person was the Crown Prince? Countless influential figures in Northern Liang called him sentimental, acknowledging his outward splendor. Yet, scholars and literati unanimously described him as unrighteous, deeming him rotten on the inside. Xu Fengnian had long stopped paying attention to such gossip. At this moment, he simply sat with Zhao Yutai, who was no longer wearing armor, inside the Guanyin Pavilion. For some reason, as a crowned Taoist nun of Qingcheng Mountain, she was even more robust than Xu Fengnian. Sitting side-by-side, they presented a slightly comical picture, as if the Crown Prince was meekly clinging to her. Xu Fengnian, unable to hide his overflowing joy, gazed at Aunt Zhao.

Zhao Yutai, the armored maid, was a 'sword' of the previous generation's young Sword Champion from the Wu Family Sword Mound. 'Swords' were outsiders chosen at a young age, raised alongside their masters, meticulously trained, and dedicated their entire lives to 'feeding' and 'nurturing' their master's sword until its final burial. Each 'sword' excelled in swordsmanship from childhood, and some were even powerful enough for their sword skills to surpass their master's before the age of twenty. After their master reached adulthood, a 'sword' was only responsible for sharpening the sword-heart and sword-path, not for dying for their master. In fact, this was strictly forbidden by the Wu Family Sword Mound, to prevent Wu family swordsmen from becoming reckless due to overconfidence, which would be detrimental to their cultivation of superior swordsmanship.

Wu Liuding, in his green robe, traveled south with his sword, secretly accompanied by a shadow 'sword'.

Every young 'withered sword' of the Wu family who left the Sword Mound for training was an extraordinary genius. Once they departed, there were only two possibilities: becoming the foremost swordsman and returning gloriously to the Sword Mound, or dying on their cultivation journey. Those who died on their journey were not allowed to be buried in the Sword Mound, nor were their swords permitted to be returned to the family. Wherever they died, they were buried there, and their 'sword' would guard their grave and sword for life.

Xu Fengnian softly asked, "Aunt, why are you on Qingcheng Mountain?"

Zhao Yutai, who had been studying Xu Fengnian's face, did not hide anything. She said softly, "After I removed my mask, I helped Wu Lingsu become a puppet. The Grand General needed Qingcheng Mountain to become a dead mountain and an empty city, secretly stationing no fewer than six thousand armored soldiers as a precaution. The early plan was that if the Northern Liang cavalry were defeated by Beiman, Yongzhou would not completely collapse without a fight. Otherwise, with its natural defenses unguarded, retaking it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. There was also the concern of Gu Jiantang potentially backstabbing us during intense border battles. However, in recent years, the Grand General's armored forces have single-handedly resisted Beiman without losing an inch. Coupled with his strategic planning from thousands of miles away, he hasn't been crushed by accusations of overshadowing the ruler, thus firmly establishing himself in Northern Liang. The secret deployment of troops on Qingcheng Mountain has consequently slowed down, as dispatching generals and moving troops under the very nose of Yongzhou and the imperial court is no small or easy matter. For years, I have presumed that if the Grand General has further arrangements to the east, specifically at Jiange, then he has made the worst-case preparations: no matter how the three hundred thousand Northern Liang cavalry collapse, these six thousand armored soldiers can ensure Your Highness passes through Jiange and enters the Western Regions. The dynasty would then no longer be able to restrain Your Highness, and at least the Xu family would not be left utterly desolate."

Xu Fengnian sighed, "Xu Xiao has an immense layout. On this trip to Qingcheng Mountain, I meticulously mapped the geography and simply felt it was a strategic hub for Yongzhou, and it would be a pity not to have troops guarding such a treacherous terrain. Hearing Aunt say this, knowing Xu Xiao's temperament, it's highly probable that Jiange has already been bribed by him, with assassins and spies hidden there. However, I suspect the imperial court might also have countless hidden pawns and secret agents, so it's a matter of who makes the first move one day, and who has more ingenious strategies. For years, Li Yishan has replaced Uncle Zhao Changling as Xu Xiao's strategist. It seems there's a 'Listening Tide Ten-Game Chessboard'; I wonder which game it's on now. Xu Xiao's dilemma lies in being too conspicuous. He doesn't want to rebel, yet some people dream of him doing so. After the Battle of Xileibi, which destroyed Western Chu, I heard many old generals secretly advised Xu Xiao to seize the entire realm. It's true, who among military leaders doesn't want to be a founding official of a new dynasty? Which strategist doesn't want to be an imperial tutor? But with the 'Spring and Autumn Era of Unrighteous Wars,' where ancient noble families gradually withered, Xu Xiao became the culprit. Without the support of the people and the endorsement of scholars, even if Xu Xiao could march north triumphantly and directly assault the imperial capital, how could he possibly secure the emperor's throne?"

Zhao Yutai, who referred to herself as 'this servant,' held Xu Fengnian's hand throughout, smiling kindly. "Your Highness greatly resembles the Young Lady, both in appearance and in conduct."

Xu Fengnian shook his head.

Zhao Yutai asked, "Why did Your Highness not use the Northern Liang light cavalry to break through the Shenxiao Sword Array at that time? If you had given the order, those fierce soldiers would have shown genuine loyalty to Your Highness."

Xu Fengnian pulled out the special Xuan paper he had obtained from beneath the peregrine falcon's claw and handed it to Zhao Yutai, saying softly, "Seeing this, I dared not act rashly. Before leaving Northern Liang, Li Yishan told me there would be three embroidered pouches. This is the first one. I originally wanted to beg him to give them all to me at once, but Li Yishan refused, knowing my rogue nature to immediately open them all the moment I turned my back."

Zhao Yutai saw a line of text: "Stop upon encountering a King; kill only when unavoidable." Understanding dawned on her, and she smiled as she handed it back to Xu Fengnian. Xu Fengnian tore it up and cast the pieces away, letting them scatter in the wind.

Xu Fengnian asked curiously, "Aunt, is that Wu Liuding the current Sword Champion of the Sword Mound?"

Zhao Yutai nodded plainly, without any change in expression.

Xu Fengnian instinctively tightened his grip on Zhao Yutai's hand and chuckled deeply, "Then I must seize the opportunity to meet the preeminent talent of the Wu Family Sword Mound and see if his swordsmanship truly lives up to the title of Sword Champion!"

Zhao Yutai smiled, "Your Highness, among your retinue, that one-armed elder seems to be the most profound. Who is that senior swordsman?"

Xu Fengnian softly said, "That's Li Chungang, who was suppressed by Xu Xiao beneath the Tide-Listening Pavilion for many years. He's an elder generation Sword God. His Wooden Horse Ox sword broke. I knew he was defeated by Wang Xianzhi, but I didn't know how he also lost an arm."

Zhao Yutai smiled faintly and said, "So it's the elder Sword God Li. No wonder. The Old Ancestor who taught the Young Lady and me swordsmanship when we were children was once utterly defeated by Li Chungang. Not only was his sword broken, but his sword-heart was also shattered, leaving him no hope of ever reaching the Land Immortal Swordsman realm in his lifetime. Over the past century, Li Chungang defeated a Sword Prime, using a Wooden Horse Ox sword. Later, Deng Tai'a also won, but disdained to choose a sword from the Sword Mountain, completely stripping the Wu Family Sword Mound of its prestige. Sword Champion Wu Liuding will certainly eventually fight the contemporary Sword God Deng Tai'a. Based on several secret letters, Wu Liuding is currently just entering the Finger-Mysteries realm, still some distance from the Heavenly Phenomena realm. However, the most outstanding swordsmen of each Wu family generation never progress step-by-step; they often stagnate for a thousand days, then advance a thousand miles in a single day. No other swordsmen in the world have such solid foundations as the Wu family. The Young Lady was just like that back then; with a sword in hand, before leaving the mound, she was merely a mundane first-rank master. Yet, in a life-and-death battle against the previous Sword Prime, she leaped over the Vajra and Finger-Mysteries realms in one fell swoop, directly reaching Heavenly Phenomena!"

Xu Fengnian looked towards the cliff and the empty valley, murmuring, "Aunt, I'm much duller."

Zhao Yutai gently shook her head and said, "Generally, if one cannot enter the Vajra realm by thirty, they will never reach the Finger-Mysteries realm in their lifetime. Yet, Sword Nine Yellow only stopped being a sword-forging blacksmith at thirty, and who would dare say he isn't a master? Your Highness, you have countless secret manuals to peruse. This servant has a suggestion: you could consider becoming an unparalleled master of fifty opening moves, excelling in extreme ingenuity. There's no need to learn how some grandmasters defeat foes with a flick of a finger, nor do you need to be like Cao Guanzi, who becomes more skilled the longer a fight progresses, embodying 'first in mid-game, invincible in endgame.' Your Highness's memory is unmatched, and reading through vast numbers of books is no difficulty. You only need to select the most essential one or two moves from each of the hundreds of secret manuals, gradually incorporating them into your repertoire, just like your Great Yellow Court cultivation. By blending and integrating the essence of predecessors, and then engaging opponents with fifty opening moves, each as elusive as an antelope's horn, you will surely be unpredictable and unstoppable."

Xu Fengnian paused, then murmured, "That seems feasible."

Zhao Yutai smiled without speaking.

Xu Fengnian instantly became spirited and energetic, with a faint purple aura emanating from his brow.

Reunited, the two sat in comfortable silence.

After a long while, Xu Fengnian slowly spoke, "I wonder how Xu Xiao's journey to the capital is progressing?"

Zhao Yutai said gravely, "A slumbering tiger doesn't open its eyes, but when it does, it kills."